Activities

The range of activities of the APC Division spans both theoretical and experimental research.

The Division has initiated new research activities in the Institute in two major experimental/observational areas of contemporary interest in Astroparticle Physics, namely, (a) a WIMP (Weakly Interacting Massive Particle) Dark Matter search experiment using Superheated Drop Detectors (SDD), and (b) Observational High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy using the High Altitude Gamma Ray (HAGAR) Telescope system located at Hanle, Ladakh (J & K).

The Division has developed the basic in-house laboratory facilities for carrying out the R & D work on SDDs. The CAPP-SINP Dark Matter search group is now a member of the ongoing international PICASSO Collaboration which is carrying out a WIMP Dark Matter search experiment using SDD in the SNOLab underground facility at Sudbury, Canada.

For the "Observational High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy" programme, members of the Division have joined the HAGAR Collaboration with members from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, and Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore.

The APC Division has a 14'' optical telescope for teaching and demonstration of fundamental concepts of astronomy and for outreach activities.

The APC Division members are also working on a variety of theoretical issues of contemprary interest in Astroparticle physics, including, to mention a few, the study of implications of self-consistent models of the phase space distribution of the dark matter in the Galaxy for the phenomenology of WIMP direct- and indirect detection, ultrahigh energy cosmic ray-, gamma ray- and neutrino astrophysics, study of exotic forms of matter such as hyperons and Bose-Einstein Condensates of Kaons in the dense interior of neutron stars and their possible observational consequences, thermal holography and black hole stability, entropy of isolated horizons, neutrino mass models, etc.